After confirming that the person on the ground had merely fainted and was out of danger, the police began to interview the parties involved to understand what had happened.
After giving her statement to the police, Liu Chuxue went straight back to the ward, feeling a sense of regret over the loss of a coarse porcelain bowl.
Liu's mother, having missed her daughter's heroic feat, could only nag incessantly: "Where were you just now? In the future, if you see something like this, you must stay far away."
"I know."
Once the nagging subsided, she realized Chuxue only had one bowl in her hands: "Where is the other bowl?"
Just as she asked, a family member from the next bed came rushing over in a flurry: "Sister, your girl is truly incredible! If she hadn't reacted so quickly, that child might have actually lost his life!"
Liu's mother was bewildered: "What do you mean?"
The woman gestured animatedly as she recounted what had just happened: "Your daughter is so fierce! But then again, if her aim had been even slightly off, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
As she was speaking, Deputy Factory Director Gu walked in with his daughter-in-law and young grandson. "Young lady, thank you so much for today. If you hadn't stepped in so bravely, I'm afraid my grandson wouldn't have survived."
The child's mother grabbed her son and tried to kneel before Liu Chuxue, startling the Liu mother and daughter, who rushed to support her: "You mustn't do that!"
The Gu family's daughter-in-law, her eyes red, pulled her son aside: "Qianshan, hurry and say thank you to the big sister."
Though still a bit dazed, Liu's mother understood. The commotion outside just now was because a child had been kidnapped and was saved by her daughter at the critical moment.
Deputy Factory Director Gu was carrying many gifts, which he placed directly by Liu's father's bedside: "We are truly grateful. If it weren't for your daughter, our world would have collapsed."
Liu's father was a man of few words: "Please, don't say that. It's just good that the child is safe."
His heart was filled with lingering fear; what if that bowl hadn't hit the criminal? What if the culprit had turned their aggression toward a young girl like her?
After a long bout of gratitude, the Gu family said: "Today was too rushed. Once we have settled things at home, we will certainly come to thank you properly another day."
Chuxue quickly waved them off: "We have received your kindness, and there really is no need for such trouble. The child was frightened today; please focus on taking care of him first."
After much effort, she finally managed to see them out.
From the auntie in the next bed, she learned that the occupant of the adjacent ward was Deputy Factory Director Gu's father. His daughter-in-law had brought the child early in the morning to deliver breakfast to the elderly man, never expecting such an incident to occur.
After the Gu family left, people kept peeking into the ward from the hallway.
This made Chuxue somewhat impatient: "Mom, I have the industrial coupons I got yesterday, and I broke one of my bowls. I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a lunch box."
Liu's mother was still shaken by the event, but she couldn't stop her: "Come back early. If you encounter any trouble outside, make sure to stay far away."
Hearing this, Chuxue laughed: "Stop scaring yourself. It's not like it's that coincidental that I'd run into trouble again."
With that, she slipped away quickly; there was a constant stream of people outside the ward, and she didn't want to be stared at like a monkey in a zoo.
First, she went to the nurse's station to ask about her father's condition, as her mother had mentioned yesterday that the nurses said there would likely be more medical fees to pay in the next day or two.
Afterward, she prepared to leave the hospital to spend the coupons she had. Even if she couldn't use the items here, they would be useful back in the village.
However, to her surprise, as soon as she stepped out of the hospital, she heard a familiar voice: "Xiaoru, don't be afraid. If there really is a baby, we'll just have it. I'll make the family break off the engagement as soon as possible, and then I'll marry you with great fanfare."
(End of Chapter)